When the Hunter Becomes the Prey
by Catherine Chen
Summary: A story about love...that isn't quite a love story. For how can Artemis ever fall in love? Part introspective inquiry, part emotional evolution. I hope you enjoy it. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Much love, Cat.
1. An Unaffected Heart?

Was she missing something by not having a man in her life? For a long time she had surrounded herself with women who shared her view of things of a romantic nature. Men were unnecessary and bothersome. Yet recently it seemed more nymphs than ever were being swept up in romantic entanglements, chased by gods and men alike. Though she hated admitting it, even to herself, she was beginning to feel a little...neglected.

Her long time confidante, Athena, was now completely enamored of Ares, and his parents, Hera and Hades, were enjoying a renewed relationship. It seemed like every woman around her was obsessed with one man or another and the strong, intelligent women succumbed just as readily as the others. Though she tried to play along and participate in their conversations, her heart was still unaffected. In the past, she had found men just as attractive and alluring as the next girl but now the concept of love seemed stale. A nagging voice in the back of her mind would occasionally whisper that her disillusionment with the concept of love was due more to being rejected by it than having achieved some greater level of knowledge and understanding. She ruthlessly suppressed that voice.

The only times she really felt alive anymore were when she was hunting and caring for her animals or when Hermes teased her or made her laugh. Where had that thought come from? Hermes was nothing to her. Just a friend, an acquaintance really. An incredibly annoying, though rather intelligent, and sometimes amazingly sweet and stunningly attractive...what was wrong with her?

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As Dionysus already had a wife, I decided to pair Artemis with Hermes. If there are any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace. PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Much love, Cat.


	2. Through the Heart of the Target

I appreciate the feedback I've gotten, but I think I'll stick with Hermes for a while. I'm still keeping things a little vague at this point, so a change could be made. I don't think there's enough very well known Hermes mythology that wouldn't gel with my vision of him. PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.

Hermes=lord of herds Artemis= queen of beasts I think it could work.

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_So he hasn't spoken to me in the past few days_, Artemis thought as she let an arrow fly. It hit its mark several yards away, vibrating lightly with the force induced by the degree to which the bow had been stretched. She reached into her quiver for another arrow, stepping back a few paces and setting the arrow in place. She didn't care. _He is free to come and go as he pleases, speak to whomever he wishes to._ Another arrow flew with deadly accuracy to the center of the target, slicing through the first. She had been perfectly fine without his presence for years, just because she had become accustomed to having him near…her next arrow missed the mark by a centimeter as she stiffened in reaction to heat pressed along the length of her side.

"Miss me?" he murmured, his breath drifting over her cheek and overheating her.

She lifted her chin, swallowing surreptitiously. "Not at all. I hadn't noticed you were gone."

"Liar," he teased, smiling, his eyes raking over her form. "You look nice today… any particular reason?"

"I need a reason?" she quipped, choosing another arrow and stepping back.

"Of course not," he said sardonically, a mocking gleam in his eyes.

The arrow sailed through the air.

"No, but really, it works well with your coloring," Hermes noted.

Artemis arched an eyebrow in question. She had the same black hair as Athena and Ares, though hers hung stick straight down to her waist when it wasn't arranged in her usual bun. Her eyes however, were different from Athena's ever-changing gray or Ares' soulful dark brown, instead being a startling bright green. Her skin was the same golden-brown as the wood nymphs in the forest thickets where she spent the majority of her time.

He took her chin gentle in his hand. "The green brings out the color in your eyes...," he said softly.

"Hermes...," Artemis managed shakily.

"It is far superior to all that white you insist on wearing," he finished.

Her gaze sharpened, her eyes narrowing and her lips pursing. She snapped her head to the side and shot another arrow towards the target with enough force to make it through to the other side. Smiling at his shocked look, she turned to leave trilling a goodbye at him as she sashayed away.


	3. A Curious Emptiness

What happens with Artemis is roughly an outline of what happens with this guy I like. Except I don't like him so much anymore because, well, you can only take so many hot and cold reversals before you don't give a damn anymore. But he's still sort of cute. What am I talking about? You don't care about my nonexistent relationships. Onward with the story...I'll figure something out...

Oh and by the way, ArtemisRocks, you need to tone it down a little. Who says anyone is in love with anyone. God...

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"Athena, I am not like you. I cannot deal his infidelities in the same way," said Artemis.

"Well, firstly, I don't think you can exactly characterize them as infidelities considering you aren't actually in a relationship yet," pointed out Athena.

"True. Philandering, womanizing, then. I just can't see myself ever settling down with someone like that. Not to the mention the fact, that I am devoted to what I do. I enjoy it. Why should I abandon my friends, my animals simply for a foolhardy idiot without the sense to even realize that I'm interested in him, without the loyalty to stay faithful even to his inamoratas?"

"That does make sense," conceded Athena. "But what about everything you found acceptable about him in the beginning."

"The early enticements have worn off. He isn't that charming and excluding his admittedly vast intelligence, he is a bit of a pompous ass. No amount of brilliance can make up for that stunning degree of arrogance especially given his awkwardness and occasional lack of wit despite his claims to the contrary. What I originally found endearing I know see as clear flaws. I was just so convinced that I had finally found the man I was meant to be with that I was trying to force something to happen that didn't have a chance in Tartarus of working out," reasoned Artemis, pacing back and forth agitatedly before settling down in a graceful swirl of skirts beside Athena.

"It seems like you are fairly certain about this," she said softly.

Artemis nodded. "I am. I cannot think of anything I would enjoy more at this moment than return to the way things used to be and reorganizing my life so that I am focused on what my priorities used to be."

Athena stroked the tiny rabbit sitting beside her. "Perhaps you aren't like the rest of us. It may be that you aren't meant to find someone. Are you alright with that?"

"I don't know. If that's the way the Fates intended it to be, who I am I to contradict them?" said Artemis exasperatedly.

"From what you told me, you seemed so adorable together, I hate to see you give this up, especially when you've just been too frightened to do something about your feelings before this point. Are you sure you aren't going to change your mind a few months later after you have had some time to think about things?" questioned Athena, knowing her friend had a habit of making quick, rash decisions that she came to regret later on but was to stubborn to ever admit to regretting.

Artemis sighed.

"Well, I can't say that I am too disappointed then," said Athena briskly.

Artemis arched an eyebrow at her in query.

"I never have approved of the two of you together. I never have approved of his behavior in general. You just seemed to have your heart set on it. I didn't want to crush your illusions about him. You needed to see for yourself that he wasn't meant for you," said Athena not unkindly.

Artemis opened her mouth to argue, and then closed it again. "Perhaps you are right," she said eventually, feeling a curious emptiness, not quite a feeling of loss but merely a lack of emotion when she ruminated on what could have been.

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There. Happy, crazy people?

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Much love, Cat


	4. A Small Victory

I was inspired today. No, I'm not still as attracted to him but he is cute sometimes. As always, PLEASE REVIEW!!! Much love, Cat.

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"Here give it to me," said Hermes after watching her struggle with the bow for a few minutes.

"No," she said trying to fit the string to the bow. "I think it's just broken."

He sighed in exasperation and took the bow from her, setting to work on fixing it, while she looked on in skepticism. Oh, he was just brilliant. He thought he could fix anything just because he happened to be fairly intelligent and knew a bit about mechanics. If could call those idiotic trinkets and toys he tinkered with mechanical inventions. It was just like him to ignore the fact that _she_ happened to be the goddess of the hunt and probably knew a thing or two more than he did about when a bow was broken and could not be repaired.

"There," he said, slipping the string into place.

Clear disbelief that he could have actually restored the bow to working order was apparent in every line of her face. "It's not working," she said as the string didn't pull tight but merely collapsed limply and the arrow fell to the ground harmlessly.

"Yes, it is," he replied, not looking at her, but busy with some calculations about grain.

"Well, obviously it isn't," she pointed out, drawing his attention to the failed attempt to launch an arrow.

"It's working. I fixed it. You just failed to use it properly," he replied, taking the bow from her again.

"Shut up. Go ahead, try it," she retorted, her lips pursing and eyes narrowing in vague annoyance.

She let him occupy himself with the bow for about half and hour, occasionally glancing over and smirking at him, while she focused her attention on sharpening her arrows. Her smile broadened at his clear frustration when his efforts served to do nothing but eventually snap the string.

"I give up," he growled, stalking away to his pile of papers and huffily sitting down, leafing through them furiously.

"Ha!" she cried mockingly in victory.


	5. A New Weapon

OK, here's the thing. I can finish this up quickly and then write you the best story I possibly can for Artemis/Hermes. Or we can draw this out while I try and figure out how to make this story better but it'll never be as good as what that story will be. I will finish this up no matter what and I will write that story no matter what. The rest is your choice. Review, PM me, tell me what you think. I hope you like this chapter anyway.

As always,

PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat

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Mythological note: Cedar is a sacred plant of Artemis.

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She who shunned other men enjoyed his company. She liked his laugh and his wit and his person in a way that was very different from how she felt about her brother. Never having experienced the slightest inkling of interest in the male species before, she wasn't sure if it was just mild, natural attraction or something…more. She liked him, but did that mean she wanted to be romantically involved with him? She wasn't sure. And what did he want? While his open, easygoing nature made him all the more attractive, it did little to inform her of his opinion of her.

He didn't seem opposed to her company, but perhaps he was just being nice. Her personality wasn't particularly charming or warm but there was nothing about it that would put him off. Hers was the kind of presence that could be easily tolerated if it had to be…like moss growing on the side of a house or a family of rabbits who stayed out of the vegetable garden. She'd conducted a little experiment and spent time with him the other day. Her excuse had been that they were going in the same direction so they might as well make the trip together. He had been waylaid along the way by various tasks but as much as it had grown increasingly awkward and felt against her nature to keep following after him, she had. And it hadn't been unpleasant. But it hadn't sparked anything either. Conclusion: She was more lost than ever.

Maybe it just happened to be that she didn't hate _every_ man in the entire world aside from her brother. However, that didn't mean she should be throwing herself at him either. So maybe she liked the light of intelligence and good humor in his eyes. Maybe he could always make her laugh because of the way his sharp wit caught her off guard. But she would be no man's property. She chaffed at the idea of trailing behind him like a good little wife…or worse, being left at home to tend to female concerns and gather dust like any other utilitarian tool.

Despite evidence to the contrary, she wasn't completely cut off from civilization. The nymphs who were unwise enough not to invoke her name and instead took pleasure with men before being cast off spoke of their ordeals. She had heard about heartache. This didn't feel like that. It didn't feel like pain or hollowness or emptiness. There was no overwhelming sense of longing or desire. She just wanted someone…another presence she could sense beside her when she needed it. It wasn't as if she were always alone but, this want went deeper. She felt so separate, so disconnected sometimes. She just wanted one person to connect with, one person to share absolutely everything with, one person to make her feel truly alive and needed and loved.

Inwardly sighing, she ran her tongue along her dry lips and turned her attention back to the bow beneath her hands. It felt light but strong.

"Artemis?"

She looked up at Hephaestus, his patient but insistent tone bringing to the realization that she had been wool-gathering. She never daydreamed. She was always alert to her surroundings for as in tune as she was with nature, danger still lurked around the corner for those who were unwary. "Yes?" she answered, mustering up a smile.

"As I was saying, the bow is built of the finest cedar. Run your hand along it," he requested. "Feel the smoothness. I sanded it down and stained it before sealing it with five types of oils. The silver attachment is thin and lightweight but elaborately engraved. You needn't worry about it coming off. I've bolted it through the cedar. I had Athena weave the string out of the thinnest threads of linen, you know how delicate her work is, and then I treated it with the beeswax you provided." He hovered over her expectantly as she examined the bow, clasping his hands behind his back as he finished his report.

"Thank you, Hephaestus," she said lamely.

He nodded once and turned to walk back into his workroom.

"I..I love it," she felt compelled to add.

Hephaestus turned back to her with a widening smile that lit his dark brown eyes with a striking warmth. "Any weapon you wish to possess, you only need to ask," he murmured with a bow, a gently mocking humor in his voice. "Besides, I would never hear the end of it from your brother if I ever presented you with something that wasn't my best work."

She smiled in return. "Thank you, again," she said, impulsively pressing her hand over his for a moment before departing.

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I hope you liked reading that as much as I liked writing it. I love to hear from my readers so PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat.


	6. There Were Words For This Kind of Thing

Thank you for staying with me. I know it takes me forever and a day to update this story. Artemis/Hermes and this story in particular (and where I draw my inspiration from) makes it a little more difficult to write. That and I'm _incredibly _busy with college and outside activities. I love you darlings, but I'm trying to have a life. Anyway, I found a new muse though I am now beta-less. And in reward for your loyalty, I thought we'd transition into a bit more of the romance angle. I hope you like it.

As always,

PLEASE REVIEW!  
Much love, Cat

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Artemis peered at her reflection critically in the glass. She had neither the time nor inclination to learn how to pretty herself up as other women did but she thought she looked rather well. Her long hair gleamed from being washed and brushed and hung down her back in a loose, ebony mass. And although she hadn't done anything to effect the change, her face glowed and her eyes sparkled…with excitement…or anticipation?

_Gaia_, what was the matter with her? It was as if her sense and reason had fled for a more hospitable climate. Yes, she liked him. Despite the evidence to the contrary and her occasional bouts of temper and fits of pique she actually liked quite a lot of people. But…it was different with him. He made her feel…nervous, awkward, giddy, fluttery... He made her work harder, made her want to be better…for him? Oh, how revolting. There were words for this kind of thing, many of them coined by her and most of them unkind. She stared at herself in the glass again. She just…

"Argh!" she cried, picking up a brush and hurling it at the wall. She took a breath and expelled it quickly as though trying to clear the nonsense from her brain. Ignoring the pale green dress that was laid out on the bed, she went to the closet and took out the long, white dress Athena had given her that she'd never felt she'd had a reason to wear. She was _not_ going to choose her outfits with him in mind.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks," she lectured herself, "I…" She paused, looking at herself in the glass again. She had just pulled the gown over her head only to remember that part of the reason she'd never worn this dress was the slit up the side. True, there were folds and folds of fabric but they were all rather light, almost sheer and the effect was ruined by the diaphanous quality which made them billow around her legs as she walked. It drew the eye and gave her the uncomfortable feeling of being caressed. Of course, that was part of what made the dress so beautiful and she knew any other goddess wouldn't have such qualms but she was unused to dressing formally as it was and…

"Artemis!" a male voice called loudly from downstairs.

She heard footsteps treading lightly up the stairs before a familiar face smiled from her doorway. "Artemis, why are you taking so long? You've never been one to primp for hours like other women before."

She narrowed her eyes and threw a pillow from the bed at her brother.

Apollo caught it easily, laughing. "Are you ready to go?"

She had been deciding whether to change her dress but that would make it the second time that she was letting someone else's opinion dictate her choices. "Yes, I'm ready," she replied.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Apollo offered her his arm, which she slapped away as she rolled her eyes and they prepared to make the trek to Mount Olympus, it being one of the places inaccessible by merely thinking of it to transport oneself there.

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"You look lovely," Athena murmured, taking Artemis' hands in hers and looking her over. "I'm so happy you finally decided to wear this dress. I'd almost thought you were lying when you told me you liked it."

"Well, it is your birthday," Artemis teased, "I thought I'd pander to your vanity for a bit."

"Ha. Ha," Athena replied. Then she frowned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Hmn?" Artemis questioned.

"You keep glancing at something like my conversation isn't full of enough marvelously captivating wit to hold your attention and since I know that isn't the case…" Athena followed her gaze. "Ah, it's him."

"No," Artemis said more forcefully than necessary. "That is, I'm not looking at him. I'm looking at him looking at me."

"Oh, dear," Athena said mock-seriously. "Whatever you do, don't do that. You don't want him thinking that you notice him staring, or worse, that you reciprocate his interest. Right? I mean, that is what you decided the last time we talked?"

"Right. But he isn't staring, he's just…"

Athena looked over again, from the corner of his eye. "Oh, no, he's definitely staring. As he should be. You look ravishing. Now you just continue ignoring him and try and have a pleasant evening. It'll be sure to drive him crazy. Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for another dance."

"It's not like you need an excuse to get Ares to hold you in his arms," Artemis replied as her friend began to wander off.

"Ah, I know, but it helps to keep his arrogance in check if he thinks there's a reason," Athena replied with a smile.

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He didn't say a word as he pulled out a chair from the table and sat beside her.

"Hello," she said politely.

"Hello," he replied just as politely.

"How have you been over the last few days?" she asked.

"Good," he said, "you?"

"Good. Hephaestus finished the bow I commissioned," she informed him.

"That's good. Do you like it?" he asked.

"Yes. It's very well-crafted as usual. I haven't had a chance to really test it, beyond an hour or two of target practice yet…"

"You should accompany me the next time I go out to survey the fields. You can do a bit of hunting," he said casually as he took a sip of water from the glass on the table.

"Perhaps," she replied just as casually.

They fell into a comfortable silence as the meal progressed, occasionally leaning over to whisper something to each other. She pressed her fingers to her lips, failing to suppress the laugh that bubbled out.

"It's alright to have a sense of humor, you know," he teased.

"I know…it's just," she broke off and just smiled.

He stared at her for a long moment. "Would you like to dance?"

Her smile faltered then she grinned. She'd already disregarded Athena's advice about staying away from him... What could it hurt? "Yes. I'd love to."

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OK. Hope you liked it. I'll try to get updates out sooner.

PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat


	7. Femininity Awakened

I don't know a damn thing about Ancient Greek dance and college is currently making me crazy so I'm sorry for the wait with this one. I needed time to do research and to decompress in between bouts of studying in order to get this done. As promised, something a little more romantic.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat

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By the time they reached the middle of the room where the dancers had gathered the musicians were halfway through the song. To Hermes' surprise, Artemis easily caught the rhythm and lifted her arms in a winding motion above her head, flicking her wrists sharply and executing a graceful turn. He lifted his own arms and mimicked her movements without the more feminine embellishments, all the while marveling at how well, _different_, she seemed. Her green eyes sparkled as if they were capturing the light of the torches. She seemed natural and free, even more so than when he accompanied her as she tended to wounded animals in the extensive stables and paddocks that surrounded her home. There she was still serious, fulfilling a responsibility. He felt like he was finally really seeing her and that fact surprised him. He had known her his entire life. She was a friend, a confidante when society dictated that men and women couldn't possibly operate on an equal level. When had she become this lively, feminine creature? Or had she always been so? Had he just never noticed?

Cutting into his internal musings was the sharp, sprightly sound of a string being plucked as the music suddenly picked up in tempo and those not dancing began to clap. Laughing in delight, Artemis drew him by the hand into the circle of dancers. Her feet barely touched the floor as they lightly flitted through the series of quick steps and turns. While she had a natural grace about her, he couldn't remember ever seeing her dance like this. She seemed to spend most of her time hovering at the corners of these events, often with her brother or Athena. He was unnerved by his thoughts, yet he couldn't pull his gaze away from her.

Artemis felt like she was floating …and free. She separated from him and as she whirled around and around, kicking up her heels with the other women, all while feeling the weight of his gaze on her, she felt different. It was the oddest thing but for once her femininity was not a burden or a restraint but a source of strength. She could sense that he was attracted to her. She knew it as surely as she knew the low of a doe in distress and the right time to fire her arrow to hit a target. It was as if her womanhood was awakening and that sense of discovery alerted her to the fact that she had been suppressing it all this time.

She focused back in on her surroundings and smiled up at him. As though he had been waiting for her cue, he caught her by the waist and swept her up into the air, guiding her through a series of turns until they had exited the room and were standing breathlessly at the edge of the gardens. She tilted her head in inquiry but didn't pull away as he led her down the darkened path blanketed by a sky of shimmering stars.

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When they had reached the end of the path, she extracted her hand from his and urged him to stop. They were standing in the middle of the garden beside a fountain in the forest of dark trees and hedges. The water was illuminated by the torches held by the statues guarding the edges of the clearing. The sound of the shimmering water splashing on the marble base seemed a different sort of music for this new, enchanted setting. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Why? Are you frightened?" he challenged.

"Not of you," she said laughing. "I've taken you on in almost every type of combat there is and I've yet to see you come out the victor."

"Minx."

"Truly, seriously, where are we going?" she asked again.

He gently drew her to him and covered her lips with his.

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I hope you liked it.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat


	8. Weakened But Not Devastated

Hello, darlings! You deserved an update a long time ago but I told you before that this story in particular needs a specific kind of inspiration. One that my life is rather lacking in, unfortunately. Anyway, I'm back now. With inspiration. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

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If you could, please take the time to tell me in a review or PM what you think of the idea of me joining a website like FictionPress or Figment to work on original stories or maybe even writing a formal manuscript for a publisher. I promise I'd still keep working on Fanfiction. Would you continue to read my work outside of Fanfiction?

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As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat

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Artemis stood awkwardly in his embrace, stiff as a board with her arms at her sides. But as his lips moved caressingly over hers she felt them softening and gradually her arms crept up to intertwine around his neck. She was struck by a curious mix of lightness and heaviness. As her senses scattered, her thoughts drifted away like insubstantial puffs of smoke but her limbs felt leaden and useless. She wasn't sure she liked the feeling.

As she began to pull away, her knees seemed to weaken and she sank against him. Hermes tightened his grip around her and deepened the kiss, teasing her parted lips with his tongue until she opened her mouth wider and granted him greater access. She thought he might take advantage of her weakened state to exert his dominance but he didn't. His arms were supportive, not restrictive. And somehow she knew that if she tried to pull away he would immediately let her go.

His kiss tasted of sweet spiced wine. Bold, heated, with a honeyed sweetness. But she retained enough presence of mind to wonder at her lack of devastation. She had no doubt that she was being kissed skillfully, and by a master, but she hadn't lost her head. She still failed to see why women would abandon themselves, their responsibilities and loyalties, for this feeling. Yet she allowed him to continue in his instruction as he taught her the art of kissing, the ways to elicit mutual pleasure from the contact.

She was feeling content and very drowsy when he finally pulled away. Just as she was about to thank him for the kiss, he pressed his lips to her jaw, scattering kisses downwards past her neck, along her collarbone, to the curve of her breast. Before he could continue, she placed a hand between his lips and their object.

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"And then?"

Artemis continued doling out portions of feed to the horses. "And then, _what_?" she said casually.

"Oh come now," Athena said, waving away her friend's evasion. "You can't stop there. What happened between the two of you? You've been maintaining the mystery for days now. I _know _you want to tell me."

"I can't explain it to you yet. I still need to sort it all out in my head first," Artemis said as she gently stroked the nose of the chestnut brown Arabian that had nuzzled against her shoulder in hopes of a treat. Being Artemis, she took a date out of the pouch she carried, removed the pit and offered it to the animal, murmuring to it softly.

"You've never been like this before," Athena said wonderingly. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Neither physically not emotionally," Artemis answered quickly.

"And you didn't…"

"No. I already told you we didn't…"

Athena cut her off. "I just don't understand what could have happened that is so personal you can't tell your best friend of hundreds of years…"

Artemis continued to make her way through the stables, staying silent. She knew better than to get between Athena and an unresolved question but she couldn't seem to help her reticence.

Suddenly, Athena placed her hand on her arm, her eyes bright with the excitement of a deciphered riddle. "Did he _say_ something to you?"

Artemis slowly nodded.

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And that is all. Please remember to tell me what you think of my maybe writing original stories and as always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat


	9. Don't You Trust Me?

Oh, my darlings, how very happy you've made me. I love when you leave me reviews. They feed my soul, encourage me, inspire me. I hope you'll like what I decided to do for this chapter. Maybe my sense of romance is kicking in after all. I wasn't sure how to go about explaining the mystery from the previous chapter until I decided that maybe you should hear from Hermes.

**Before we begin, I want to ask 2 quick favors of you.**

1. Please go check two of my stories, Wolf Wolf and Don't Judge a Goddess by Her Cover and leave more lovely reviews. I've worked very hard on the latest chapters of both and I'd love some feedback.

2. Also, please check out my two new forums. I'm not sure how to link you to them so just head to my profile. I have puts the links at the very top of the page.

**OK, as always, PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Much love, Cat**

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Artemis stared into the mirror, examining her reflection for a sign of modification. She found none. _And yet…_ She lifted her hand, lightly skimming her lips with her fingertips. _She felt different… irrevocably altered in some way._ Her long, dark hair hung in a tangled mess about her shoulders, mussed after another night of tossing and turning. Her eyes were the same familiar shade of green and her face still possessed the same sharp planes. Yet something_ had_ changed. She was still deciding whether or not she was pleased with the discovery.

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_"Don't you trust me?"_ Hermes had asked the question in a teasing manner but Artemis had grown distant and serious in response. He had felt her body stiffen and relaxed his hold on her just as she had begun to slip out of his embrace.

They had stared at each other for a long moment before she finally broke the silence. _"I don't know." _The honesty in her voice still unsettled him.

She had forced him to realize that he had never posed the question to any of his lovers. Trust had never been an issue. They had trusted him with their bodies. They had trusted his ability to bring them pleasure. Anything more than that was irrelevant to the interaction.

Her response had forced him to view their relationship differently. He had been a bit startled by the realization that she did not entirely trust him, especially given that when he thought about it, he found that in many ways he _did_ trust her. He valued her friendship. He trusted her with his secrets, his fanciful notions, his mundane observations. He enjoyed being one of the few people that could both spark her temper and make her laugh. And he had discovered, after a few days of turning the situation over in his mind, that he wanted her to trust him. He was still deciding how he felt about the discovery.

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I know this chapter was incredibly short but I didn't want to have them think about it too long. I'm just laying the groundwork right now. Let them ponder the question too long and they'd finish falling in love without even being in the same room.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW!

Much love, Cat


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